The Fields of Athenry is a situation that has to stop. Why is that every time tens of thousands of Irish gather this song is the only song that gets sung…where are the new songs? It’s not like ireland is short of songs…”
Sports journalist Ken Early (at 8.50) with a controversial pop at the best supporters in the world’s favourite sing-a-long on on the Second Captains podcast whatsit
Fight!
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It beats Ole Ole Ole….
word
Ole ole isn’t even Irish, it is borrowed from Brazil.
Really? “Ole” isn’t Irish? Next you’ll be telling me the people in ‘Allo ‘Allo aren’t even french!
You’ll be surprised by how many people think it is oirish thing…
It’s an Irish song that most Irish people know the first verse of… & yes, it is most certainly better than Olé olé.
Bit of a non issue really.
His point was less about the song and more about the lack of creativity of the self-regarding Irish sports fans.
The steel band version is the best version in the world!
Apparently these lads used to play here in the Hacienda. This could be recorded there, not sure;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMK-xz2mofs
west brit hatred by mr earley there
See how you like a bunch of ruffian howya’s singing about stealing your familiy’s precious corn, ya bastard!
we took the yella meal and became prods
Trevalyan was a civil servant. “His” corn was the maize imported from North America as part of the famine relief program.
Time to get a refund on that IRA For Dummies distance-ed course.
The flame-haired flame-thrower of truth is just having a rant. A non-issue. It’s a song people know with the recognisable low-lie bit.
I’d be open to a bit of Mandinka though.
Any others?
C’est La Vie for me.
“Some people say I look like me Da. I fight like me Da as well”
It’s utter dirge
Agreed! We’ve a huge selection of songs to choose from, many a lot chirpier than a song about the famine.
I think he’s right – it’s hardly uplifting. Much as it pains me to say, anyone who was there on Sunday would agree that the Argentinians had it in terms of crowd spirit.
Irish supporters really aren’t that great.
We’re really not. Back when Leinster played in Donnybrook it was referred to by many as Donnybrook Library. Matches watched in near silence. Its changed a bit since the much derided bandwagon began, but for the better in my opinion.
what would you expect with a bunch of southside LEN!!!STIR!!! bnadwagoneers taking time off from sipping their frothy frappuccinos?
How dare you sir! Best Fans In The World™
listen to the entire podcast and you might find out that he impresses more the point that our sports fans could and should diversify their stadium repetoir. Still though, FIGHT etc
I agree with him.
A dreary, miserable song which is ok when Paddy Reilly does it.
Never Brush Shiels though….
I was more than a little surprised when Tricky played it in concert a few years back.
Slow sports day?
It doesnt matter what is about, it’s how it sounds when sung en masse. LOOOOOOOWWWWW LIIIIIIEEEEEEE lends itself perfectly to being sing by thousands of people all at once. Like You’ll Never Walk Alone in that respect.
It’s almost impossible to create a terrace song from scratch. Just ask Phil Coulter.
You need the right mix of historical significance, public consciousness & singalong chorus to do it.
What does Ken Early suggest? Hozier?
And I say that as someone who’s not a big fan of the song
Listen to the podcast for what he suggests.
Hardly the Banks anyway
He’s right. For a nation of sports fans that receive (and love to receive) plaudits for support at various global events there’s very little evidence of an actual supporter culture. A travelling band of Bohs or Shels fans a better gauge of what true support in this country is rather than a stadium full of bandwagoners singing the ONE verse of Fields of Athenry that they know (and only ever on the very biggest of stages, of course)
wtf are you , The Sun all of a sudden?
You cherry pick out the controversial bit without listening to the entire thing where he postulates that for all the great sporting moments our teams and athletes have given us, the fans have never really got past that one song. Other nations have many, we seem to have one.
Stick to the outrage Aaron, leave the actual entertainment alone thanks.
PS this is from mondays podcast, its old news already.
nail. head. filler.
The boys in green abroad are national inferiority complex on tour. Please like us! Aren’t we great? Shoes off? Sit down? And if were getting hockeyrd by Spain sure we can sing the bleedin fields of athenry again. Awful
OK, we’ll sing Sé mo laoch, mo ghile mear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDlCM_Mwtys
I’m at the 2nd Captains recording now
Will I start one off
Any requests?
Gerr’ou ya Black n’ Tans
N’ fight me like a man….
tell yer wife about the medels
yah won in flanderrrs
tell her how the IRA
made you run like hell away
to the black hills
of connneeemmmaaarraa …
that could work but then you’d spend all your time explaining that it refers to the war of independence and not the terror troubles whatever and then you’d have to explain about the war of Independence then the treaty and partition then the civil war and that would distract from whatever beating Ireland was enduring at the time.
Fair’nuff
What about
D’ya want yer oul’ lobby washed down ‘on shine
Catch me if you can
Me name is Dan
Sure I’m your man
Yes. Tell them there was a fierce whiff of egg off that last ‘football’ podcast. Not on at all.
Why do we have to have a song anyway? Stop trying to make “Fetch” happen Gretchen.
Forgot why I never listen to people discussing sports.
Remember now.
Thanks